Last weekend, a pastor from Childersburg, Alabama, was apprehended after watering his neighbor’s flowers.
Michael Jennings, a preacher, stated that the incident was a matter of miscommunication which could have been dealt with differently.
Jennings is a preacher at Vision of Abundant Life Ministries in Sylacauga, Alabama. Additionally, he has been in the ministry for over 30 years.
On Sunday, May 22, Jennings strolled over to a neighbor’s house to put water on roses after church. Another neighbor wasn’t familiar with Jennings and called the police, regarding a suspicious person on the property.
“My neighbor goes out of town a lot, and they wanted me to watch their house and keep their flowers watered,” Jennings stated.
When officers arrived on the scene, Jennings didn’t have his identification on him. However, he did tell police who he was and why he was there.
“He says, ‘Give me some ID,’ and I said, ‘No, I don’t have to give you any ID because no crime has been done,'” Jennings said.
When the same neighbor had seen that it was her friend and neighbor, Jennings, she begged officers not to apprehend him.
A police reported stated that Jennings was belligerent and walked away from officers as he threatened a racial profiling lawsuit.
Thus, Jennings was charged with obstructing government operations. He was taken into custody and held at the Talladega County Jail prior to being released.
